In 2012, every marketer and their dog bet on QR codes (meaning: Quick Response) which helps to, through our smartphone camera, dive quicklier into any web page. Unfortunately, the popularity of QR codes died quickly until it only remained active in China and Japan, where users can log into Free Wi-Fi, buy clothes, reserve tickets, among other things. Now QR might find its shot on the rest of the world through Instagram.
Instagram Tag, what’s that?
Instagram Nametag, or IG Tag as many have named it, is a QR code we can access through the app to help us add accounts we discover in person simply by scanning the code. The tag is unique and customizable to facilitate the exchange of accounts in real time. To use it, we just have to go into Account Settings, then press on the “nametag” tab where we will be able to choose a color, an emoji or a selfie with a sticker. To scan a tag yourself, all you have to do is swipe right, like going into the camera normally, but to the opposite side.
The return of QR
After being buried and forgotten, QR has returned for reasons no one really understands. However, we have seen it pop on other places as far back as the beginning of 2017 and it has been growing stronger since. First, it started with Whatsapp, where we can use a code to connect with the browser mode of the app, then Facebook Messenger integrated something very similar to IG Tag, while this very year, Facebook has been trying out ways to login to the platform using QR, also, Pinterest has launched codes that you can put on stores to show buyers items that might not be on display at the moment. Likewise, Amazon launched a “pop-up” store that was basically only for show. You look at several items, scan the QR code and presto! you are taken to the page were you can buy your latest craving right on Amazon. All of this has been possible really, thanks to Apple, which a relatively short time ago added a QR reader to the iPhone camera and now we can even make payments by linking our bank account.
Seizing the day
QR can bring on new and fresh BTL campaigns that will help us call the attention of more users, be it to add Facebook or Instagram accounts, or to take the customers directly into our page or cart. We could even add QR codes to the packaging of our products to give them bonus content, a great example nowadays comes in mexican pogs, known as “Tazos”, that now come with an augmented reality app. Whatever we do with them, it seems the QR codes are back and here to stay along with new possibilities for those who are willing to give it a try.
Source
www.techcrunch.com
www.socialmediatoday.com
www.thememo.com